christians

Thérèse of Lisieux: Holiness Made Possible

The relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux are currently touring Lebanon. Despite certain excesses—such as the brevity of some “visits” and the hurried processions past her reliquary—this form of popular devotion remains deeply rooted in Church tradition. The veneration of relics—and belief in their power—dates back centuries. As ...

Eastern Christians: The Last Keepers of a Legacy

A suicide bombing, this time inside a Damascus church during Sunday Mass. Twenty-five dead. The blast silenced prayer, shattered lives and shook a community already on the brink. Eastern Christianity is dying, not in the chaos of an open warfare, but through a long, silent agony, met with the world’s indifference. In a secularized Europe where ...

Syria Announces Arrests over Damascus Church Attack

Syrian authorities on Monday announced arrests over a suicide blast targeting a church blamed on the Islamic State group, as President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed those involved in the "heinous" attack would face justice. The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the Saint Elias church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed ...

Syria’s Christians in the New Order: A Fight for Survival

The suicide bombing that struck Saint Elias Greek Orthodox Church on Sunday, June 22, in Damascus’s Dwelaa district has reignited deep fears among Syria’s Christian community – already alarmed by the growing influence of Islamist groups in the country. The attack, claimed by the “Saraya Ansar al-Sunna” group, killed at least 22 ...

Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country. The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the ...

Damascus Church Attack Draws International Condemnations

The suicide bombing of a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus during Sunday mass, killing at least 20 people, drew strong international condemnations.  The attack was the first known suicide bombing in the Syrian capital since December, when a rebel coalition ousted Syria’s autocratic president, Bashar al-Assad. EU The EU on Monday condemned as ...

Khatchig Babikian: A Perfect Symbiosis of Lebanese and Armenian Identities

Christine Babikian Assaf offers us an unfinished yet invaluable work: the Memoirs of her father, Khatchig Babikian—a towering figure of Lebanese parliamentary history in the 20th century and one of the key architects of the Taif Agreement. Published under the title “My Lives”, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand ...

Pope Offers to Mediate between World Leaders to end Wars

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday offered to mediate between leaders of countries at war, saying that he himself "will make every effort so that this peace may prevail". The new US pontiff, who became head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics last week, also called on Christians living in the Middle East not to abandon their homes, in a speech to members ...

When The Virgin "Turns," The Whole World Turns With Her!

The month of May has, for centuries, been dedicated to Mary. In Lebanon, the feast of Our Lady of Lebanon is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, entrusting them with messages—once considered "secrets"—that, though now revealed, continue to stir the conscience ...

A Farewell in Faith: Qaraqosh Mourns the Pope

In Iraq’s Christian heartland, Easter Mass at al-Tahera Church became a poignant tribute to Pope Francis. Church bells echoed through Qaraqosh and Mosul, honoring the man whose 2021 visit brought solace after years of war and displacement. He is now mourned as a spiritual father by those he never forgot.

The Feast of Palms: ‘A Red (Blood) Carpet for Jesus’

Jesus begins the final act of His earthly life with pure joy: the act of His Passion and His victory over death, the ultimate transformation of the human race. This pure joy is that of Palm Sunday, commemorated by the Church on the last Sunday of Lent. It is, in anticipation, the joy of Easter itself. Yet the shadow of the Cross subtly looms over ...